Forty-one percent of physicians have seen other clinicians behave inappropriately in the workplace, up from 35 percent in 2021, Medscape's 2022 "Physicians Behaving Badly: Stress and Hardship Trigger Misconduct" report found.
The report, published Aug. 19, surveyed more than 1,500 physicians about misconduct they've observed among their colleagues. Respondents were asked to identify observed misbehaviors in the last five years and which misbehaviors they saw most recently.
Six findings:
- Eighty-six percent of physicians said they saw colleagues bullying or harassing other clinicians and staff in the past five years, and 30 percent said they saw it more recently.
- Forty-five percent of physicians said they saw colleagues bullying or harassing patients in the past five years, and 5 percent said they saw it more recently.
- Eighty-two percent of physicians said they saw colleagues disparaging patients unbeknownst to the patients in the past five years, and 30 percent said they saw it more recently.
- Fifty-five percent of physicians said they heard colleagues using racist language in the past five years, and 9 percent said they heard it more recently.
- Forty-four percent of physicians said they saw colleagues becoming physically aggressive with patients, other clinicians and staff, and 6 percent said they saw it more recently.
- Eighty-five percent of physicians responded "no" when asked if they have behaved poorly as physicians in the last year.